Ein Heldenleben

Easty621 · Post by **Easty621** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 11:33 pm

What's your favorite recording of this? I like the Minnesota Orchestra one with Oue conducting.

Tubadork · Post by **Tubadork** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 11:53 pm

Chicago Solti still my fav.
Bill

tubapress · Post by **tubapress** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 6:47 am

There are several that I like a lot. One that has not been mentioned yet is the 1928 Mengelberg/NY Philharmonic recording. Great interpretation, astoundingly good playing and recording from this early year! Part of an amazing set of Strauss recordings that includes performances by Stokowski/Philadelphia (Death & Transfiguration) and Koussevitsky/Boston (Also Sprach Zarathustra) among others. I believe the Heldenleben is also available on a single disc as well.

bort · Post by **bort** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 8:48 am

Not sure about recordings, but I saw the Baltimore Symphony perform this last spring, and it was outstanding!

Tubadork · Post by **Tubadork** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 9:50 am

BGII wrote:Sorry, but Solti's is with the Vienna Phil. It's very good, obviously, but I find it a tad manic and aggressive sounding too. Oue's may be more relaxed, but the detail is a bit clearer. It also has much better sonics, coming from Reference Recordings. But what I like about Eji Oue's is the spectacular Eric Leinsdorf arrangement of orchestral highlights from Strauss' huge Wagnerian opera, "Die Frau ohne Schatten" (The Woman Without A Shadow), that comes with his "Ein Heldenleben". That thing is worth the price of admission alone!

RICHARD STRAUSS
"The Absolute Sound Super Disc List"
Ein Heldenleben; "Die Frau ohne Schatten" Suite
A HERO'S LIFE! Never one to shirk admiration, Strauss wrote a gigantic tone poem in his own honor. His opera THE WOMAN WITHOUT A SHADOW is full of brilliant orchestral interludes.
Erich Leinsdorf's suite is given a stunning performance in its first digital recording!
RR-83 HDCD -- $16.98

D'OH
sorry,
Reiner not Solti,
getting old.

Bill

Wilco · Post by **Wilco** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 10:27 am

http://www.concertgebouworkest.nl/video/video.asp

I haven't heard any other version, but I like this one....

Wyvern · Post by **Wyvern** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 2:02 pm

I never used to be convinced by Ein Heldenleben until I heard the recording by Bychkov and the WDR Sinfonie-Orchester Koln

This is a really musically coherent rendition with excellent recording and nicely present tuba. I would recommend it!

timayer · Post by **timayer** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 2:26 pm

Overall the LA/Mehta is my favorite, but the battle scene in the Chicago/Barenboim recording is about as aggressive as I've ever heard it, and nothing has been able to compare to it since I got the album. It's also paired with a great recording of Til Eulenspiegel, so the disc is definitely worth the money.

Bowerybum · Post by **Bowerybum** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 3:26 pm

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the Reiner/Chicago Symphony on RCA. One of my favorites.

Aco · Post by **Aco** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 5:32 pm

I second (third? fourth?) the Reiner.

Easty621 · Post by **Easty621** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 10:45 pm

What recording do you think the tuba is most audible on? I know in a lot of them I've listened to the tuba gets absolutely drained out in the Battle Scene. Is that because of bad mic placing, or simply because so much is going on?

ZNC Dandy · Post by **ZNC Dandy** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 1:12 pm

I love the Vienna Philharmonic's recording of Heldenleben. I love that uber-aggressive playing style I think it fits the work very well. They play on raw emotion, and I would stab someone in front of their own momma to see them live.

Also, the video of the Concertgebouw was awesome! The bass trombonist was amazing. What a growl on the solo passage.

Dennis K. · Post by **Dennis K.** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 2:18 pm

I love the old Reiner/CSO recording.
To me, what is so great about it is the fact that it is not absolutely "correct." There is some belief that orchestral music must be played rhythmically perfect and in straight time all the time.
"Er, excuse me maestro, but the score says quater note should = 128. According to my Korg Supernome, with the optional difibralator, That runthrough was approximately 127.68342 bpm. Could we take it just a smidge faster?"

Reiner's player's move. They take liberties. They lead a phrase.
Get the Dover score and follow it, 1 part at a time, through the recording. What an education.

Dennis "I don't need no stinkin' metronome" K.

Wyvern · Post by **Wyvern** » Sat Feb 24, 2007 5:15 pm

Wilco wrote:http://www.concertgebouworkest.nl/video/video.asp

I haven't heard any other version, but I like this one....

Does anyone recognize on this video what type of tuba is being played? It looks like the same one used for Mahler 6 when I heard the Concertgebouw in London in 2005 and I was curious then.

ahowle · Post by **ahowle** » Sat Feb 24, 2007 5:48 pm

I'm also a fan of the Reiner/CSO recording.

Billy M. · Post by **Billy M.** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 5:08 pm

I really dig the Kempe recording with Staatskapelle Dresden. It's an excellent recording that is really musical and flows nicely.

It has only one or two spots intonation is off with the trumpet in War Fanfares but otherwise great playing.

-Billy.

finnbogi · Post by **finnbogi** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 9:56 am

Neptune wrote:
Wilco wrote:http://www.concertgebouworkest.nl/video/video.asp

I haven't heard any other version, but I like this one....
Does anyone recognize on this video what type of tuba is being played? It looks like the same one used for Mahler 6 when I heard the Concertgebouw in London in 2005 and I was curious then.

I'm not very good at identifying tubas, but I know that Perry Hoogendijk plays Hirsbrunner horns.

ZNC Dandy · Post by **ZNC Dandy** » Tue Feb 27, 2007 10:10 am

finnbogi wrote:
Neptune wrote:
Wilco wrote:http://www.concertgebouworkest.nl/video/video.asp

I haven't heard any other version, but I like this one....
Does anyone recognize on this video what type of tuba is being played? It looks like the same one used for Mahler 6 when I heard the Concertgebouw in London in 2005 and I was curious then.
I'm not very good at identifying tubas, but I know that Perry Hoogendijk plays Hirsbrunner horns.

It looks like an HB-12 F tuba. It sounds like and F as well. He sure can crank some sound of it. Really great video!